Punk | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 13, 2019 (Japan) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 31:06 | |||
Label |
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Chai chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [6] |
Metacritic | 86/100 [7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
DIY | [8] |
Exclaim! | 9/10 [9] |
The Guardian | [5] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [4] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [10] |
Q | [11] |
The Skinny | [12] |
Spectrum Culture | [3] |
Vice ( Expert Witness) | A− [13] |
Punk (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by Japanese band Chai. The album was released on February 13, 2019, by Otemoyan Records. [14] It was released on March 15, 2019, in North America and Europe by Burger Records and Heavenly Recordings, respectively. [14]
AllMusic's Tim Sendra felt the record left some of the rap rock influences prominent on PINK behind in exchange for more pop-oriented stylings. [2] Indeed, PUNK dives into several pop-based genres from bubblegum to indie to synth-pop.
Kicking off the record is "Choose Go!", a "punchy" piece of " cheerleader rock", [2] that features " synths that churn like vacuum cleaners." [5] Following is "the pulsing electronic pop" [1] of "Great Job". "Wintime" is " Paramore-plucked, rose-tinted tropic- pop". [12]
"This Is Chai", the record's only song to have its writing credited to all four members, has been called everything from post-punk [10] to Europop [12] to "happily corny handbag house". [2] "Fashionista", along with "This is CHAI", "has some seriously infectious funk woven into its DNA". [4] "Curly Adventure" is a " synth-pop ballad" that "throw[s] heavy metal guitar grind" into its mix. [2]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Noisey | Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 97
|
|
Pitchfork | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 46
|
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RX Music | Best Albums of 2019 (Indie Pop) | 5
|
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Thrillist | Top 35 Albums of 2019 | 20
|
Publication | Work | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pitchfork | "Fashionista" | The 100 Best Songs of 2019 | 59
|
In 2019, a music video for the eighth track (Curly Adventure) was directed by Sean Solomon, using character designs from band member and visual director Yuuki, in which the video picks a load of eccentric (and surreal)scenes with vibrant colours [20] with the simplistic style of the album's cover, inspired by Peanuts characters and the hyper-stylized Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1970s. [21] The additional credits in the video are storyboards drawn by Evan Red Borja and animation by Sarah Schmidt and Ian Ballantyne. [22]
All music by Mana and Kana, except where noted. All lyrics by Yuuki, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Choose Go!" |
| 2:42 |
2. | "Great Job" | 3:15 | |
3. | "I'm Me" | 3:21 | |
4. | "Wintime" |
| 2:39 |
5. | "This Is Chai" |
| 2:37 |
6. | "Fashionista" |
| 2:56 |
7. | "Family Member" | 3:11 | |
8. | "Curly Adventure" | 3:21 | |
9. | "Feel the Beat" | 3:42 | |
10. | "Future" |
| 3:22 |
Total length: | 31:06 |
Chai
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japanese Albums ( Oricon) [23] | 50 |
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan) [24] | 72 |
A song from the album, "This Is Chai", was featured prominently in an episode of the American television series Better Call Saul in 2020. [25]